Jeonju (Korean pronunciation: [tɕʌndʑu]) is a city in South Korea, and the capital of North Jeolla Province. It is a city that has a mix of both urban and rural due to the closeness of nearby Wanju County which almost entirely surrounds Jeonju. Nearby Wanju County also has many people living there who work in Jeonju, proper. The name, Jeonju literally means "Perfect Region" (from the hanja 全(전; Jeon) for perfect, 州(주; Ju) for region). It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.

In May 2012, Jeonju was chosen as a Creative Cities for Gastronomy as part of UNESCO's Creative Cities Network. This honour recognize the city's traditional home cooking handed down through generations over thousands of years, its active public and private food research, a system of nurturing talented chefs, and its hosting of distinctive local food festivals.[1]

The town was occupied by the Donghak peasants' movement in 1894. Jeonju was given metropolitan status in 1935, and the city was founded in 1949.[citation needed]

Since Joseon, it was a metropolis, but left behind the industrialization, it declined compared to before. it does not have the various infrastructure, manufacturing or heavy industries found in other Korean major cities. Today, Traditional Tour is a major industry in the city.

Jeonju bibimbap 전주비빔밥, a traditional local food, is well-known across South Korea. There are also several very popular vegetarian restaurants serving Jeonju style food and pine wine.

The National Jeonju Museum exhibits ancient relics from the Baekje days.

There are extensive royal museums, temples, a castle fortress on a hillside, and a well-known paper museum, as well as an annual paper fashion show highlighting both the latest style and traditional Korean clothing made of paper.

The Jeonju Hanok Village (Hanok Maeul) is a traditional-style village located in the heart of Jeonju, housing over 800 traditional "hanok" style buildings. It contains many traditional tea shops, souvenir shops and restaurants.[2]

The local mountains and parks are popular for outdoor recreation due to its rural location. There are also various historical sites in the area. The city also has a zoo, a park, and the Hanguk Sound and Culture Hall, a large, modern concert complex on the Chonbuk National University campus.

Jeonju, like all of Korea, has 4 distinct seasons. They are spring, summer, fall, and winter. The winters can have a mix of days that are cool to days that are quite cold. The colder days are often influenced by a high pressure front that brings cold air from Siberia. In the summer, the humidity over the Korean peninsula from June through September comes from south east Asia. Temperatures in spring (late April and through May) and fall (after September 25 and though October) are often in the mid 20's℃ and with low humidity. Summer is the best time to visit for those accustomed to hot climates or southern countries. Spring and, especially, fall are the best time to visit for those from northern countries. (From the end of September through October, the climate often takes on a Mediterranean feel and is a great time to visit many nearby mountains and rivers, either in Jeonju or nearby Wanju.)